Employment and Support Allowance is replacing Incapacity Benefit and Income Support

[adamrao]

In case if you are not aware:

From 27 October 2008 Employment and Support Allowance replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers.
The principle of Employment and Support Allowance is that everyone should have the opportunity to work and that people with an illness or disability should get the support they need to engage in appropriate work, if they are able.

A new test, the Work Capability Assessment, will be introduced in October 2008 alongside the new Employment and Support Allowance and will be applied to all those people claiming the new allowance. The new test is more robust, accurate and fairer. It will replace the current Personal Capability Assessment, which is weighted more towards a person’s physical disability and bases itself around assessing people’s incapability for work.

The Work Capability Assessment will look at people’s physical and mental ability, such as learning disabilities and other similar conditions. It will assess what an individual can do - rather than can’t do. Individuals with health conditions will be given support and employment advice to enable them to return to work where possible.

Key facts

New customers only

For new customers, Employment and Support Allowance will replace Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds. Existing Incapacity Benefit or Income Support customers will continue to receive their existing benefits, so long as they satisfy the entitlement conditions.

Personalised support

Employment and Support Allowance offers personalised support and financial help if people are not working due to an illness or disability. It gives people access to a specially trained personal adviser and a wide range of further services.

Medical assessment

Central to Employment and Support Allowance are the new medical assessments which examine what people can do, rather than what they can’t, and identify what personal support they might need.

Work-focused interviews

Most people claiming Employment and Support Allowance will be expected to take appropriate steps to help prepare for work, including attending a series of work-focused interviews with a personal adviser.

Support Group

Under Employment and Support Allowance people with an illness or disability that severely affects their ability to work will get increased financial support and will not be expected to prepare for a return to work.

source: DWP - Employment and Support Allowance

[lenny100]

sounds like its a get everybody off the sick now and into low piad work asap if they can get somebody willing to employ them, (unlikely due to the high cost of covering the insurance payments demanded to employ somebody who is classed as diabled), and make the figures look like they are going down!!!

[emmaf01]

How long before it stops being applicable only for new customers? How long before they start (or should I say turn) on existing IB claimants?

[forgottenone]

It is dated as starting from 2010 for long term claimants - which I am not BTW in case anyone assumes I am claiming incorrectly - and will trickle down in stages from then on in when the system essentially catches up with the backlog.

[Kerrie78]

Wow I've just read about this but it seems I'm months behind you lot lol!!!

My husband gets Incapacity Benefit and I had no idea this was being replaced by something else and I read forums / disabilty websites etc on a wekly basis so I'm surprised I havent spotted it somewhere before now!

I'm found a good website with lots of info on it but i'm not sure if i can post the link or not, but the way I have read it is that even existing claimants are going to have to have new application forms and new tests to go to, is this correct? I know it says "At a later date" for existing claimaints but I would like to have a rough idea of what is going on.

My hubby spent almost a year getting his IB sorted out after it was stopped abruptly due to the dreaded "Medical" where he scored no points. I would hate for him to have to go through all that again.

[davethorp]

Can someone who has been knocked back due to the PCAs limitations on mental health assessment, reapply once the changes come into effect and be assessed under the new rules?

[patrickq1]

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/pdfs/ESA_handbook_v1_Final.doc

[Zamzara]

Originally Posted by davethorp

Can someone who has been knocked back due to the PCAs limitations on mental health assessment, reapply once the changes come into effect and be assessed under the new rules?

Yes.

[emmaf01]

You shouldn't have been knocked back due to the failings of their assessment- I hope you appealed!

[davethorp]

Originally Posted by emmaf01

You shouldn't have been knocked back due to the failings of their assessment- I hope you appealed!

Did but as the appeals service also uses the same old flawed system failed that too

[andrew1402]

i also had my incapacity knocked back and got 3 points in all i have appealed and put a sicknote from my doctor in with the appeal and the fact half the questions that are on the original decision i don't remember them asking and some were asked totally different and i have a tribunal form with all the details they are taking to tribunal i have no friends but i spend time talking to them on the phone is in there along with a lot of other stuff that contradicts what he has said i can't get to the tribunal it's too far so i guess i'll have to have the paper hearing but i'd love to be there to say my peace anyway im on income support on a low rate while i appeal 82 a week with 2 children and my wife plus child benefit is not alot compared to my incapacity benefit of 276 im in debt with my water ,electricand gas company due to there rises too im waiting on united utilities trust funds decision to help with some costs i suffer from depression and no one is taking any notice properly what im saying obviously on incapacity part more than likely fail again at the tribunal would i be on income support or jobseekers with as they call my mild depression/anxiety or can i apply for this new employment and support allowance?.

[emmaf01]

HAve you got your local council welfare rights officer to help with your appeal?

I have been in almost exactly your position, and I know how awful it is. If you haven't yet got assistance with your appeal, ask for help immediately. It saved my skin and the DWP changed their decision two weeks before the appeal date- the gits didn't bother informing us though! They really can be bottom feeders.

I'm now waiting to see if they will allow me to do some voluntary work, to try to get out of the house. The woman seemed astounded that if they say no, I will not do the voluntary work! She said I could always go on JSA! Is she having a laugh?

[andrew1402]

no i haven't got a welfare rights officer how do i get 1?but if i go to tribunal or paper hearing that takes more time and christmas is round the corner and £82 will not help to get the children christmas presents im backed in a corner i can't survive on this amount and i have 14 days to respond.

[Bagafun]

Welfare Rights Officer's are employed by the Local Authority. Ask at your local council office about one, or if that isn't an option in your area, try the CAB

[andrew1402]

thanks bagafun for your help i think this is a government scam because a lot of people have been turned down from medicals and appealed and failed appeals because of this new esa it's for those people like myself to help people that failed these medicals back into work maybe worth not persue your appeals and apply for this new esa when it comes in effect this is only a theory what i think is happening because after all incapacity benefit is scraped from this date to make way for esa how else are they gonna get new claims for this esa?like i said it's just my opinion take me for instance im fighting to get incapacity benefit back which won't exist after the 27th only to the ones not having medicals this year look out for people who are having medicals next year they'll be the same i think failed medicals then 2010 everyone will be on esa but hey it's just my theory whats happening with incpacity.

[stardust_john]

I rang today as on dla and income support as the letter said I was to contact them. I was told there would only be a change of a decrease of about 1.00 nothing to worry about. I asked did I need to do anything else and was told no. I am a little confused as I though I had to state I wish to stay on income support and disability premium or I would lose it. I rang them and dont feel I achieved anything although they were helpful. I got the impression its changing and thats that.